IN THE WORKS: Restaurants, retail and shops, oh my!

CALLER-TIMES FILE Andy’s Country Kitchen, well known for its model train circling overhead with local business names, is expanding. Owners want to spend $459,000 for an 1,100-square-foot office and storage addition that will allow expanding the bathrooms and adding eight tables. It’s one of 10 new development projects submitted to the city last week.

George Gongora

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Restaurants and java places are bulging with development as office and warehouse operations received most of last week’s city construction permits.

Owners of a Southside county kitchen want to build a $459,000 addition.

“We can’t wait for bigger bathrooms,” said Caroline Generaux, a waitress at Andy’s Country Kitchen in Country Village. “It’s been one-person-at-a-time for years.”

Owner Israel Dominguez said Monday the planned 1,100-square-foot addition will also add storage, office space and about eight more tables.

Things are also hopping in Calallen, with Cedar Rabbit Tea Room & Coffee Bar percolating its provision. And owners of a new North Beach bar and grill, flanking the Lexington Museum on the Bay, will spend $200,000 finishing it.

These are among 10 projects submitted last week to the city’s Development Services Department totaling about $1.5 million. They include five tenants finishing offices, retail stores and restaurants. Among them is about $25,000 to spruce up General Nutrition Corp.’s Saratoga Boulevard space for more health-related vitamins, minerals, herbs and beauty product displays. Four businesses got the go-ahead with construction permits for more than $1 million collectively — the bulk is about $506,000 for Chubby’s Mattress’s about 10,000-sqauare-foot warehouse on Ayers Street and $450,000 for Saratoga Retail Building’s office space. Others include tenant finishing work on Corona Drive for Mutual of Omaha and a $50,000 parking lot for CVS at 4166 S. Staples St. — across from the Everhart Road “Corner of Happy & Healthy,” where Walgreens is building.

Flour Bluff ISD is the big spender last week for its $605,000 Bond 2013 ROTC practice pavilion and parking area approved by voters.

Ever-occupied Taylor Center, in the 3600 block of S. Alameda Street, is getting a new dress shop, thanks to designer Susan Castor shifting to a smaller space, officials said.

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